Outpatient care NMDS 2007-13

The scope of this National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) is for services provided to non-admitted, non-emergency department, patients registered for care by specialist outpatient clinics of public hospitals that are classified as either principal referral and specialist women’s and children’s hospitals and large hospitals (Peer Group A or B) as reported in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Australian Hospital Statistics publication from the preceding financial year.

Hospitals use the term ‘clinic’ to describe various arrangements under which they deliver specialist outpatient services to non-admitted non-emergency department patients. Outpatient clinic services should be interpreted as encompassing services provided through specific organisational units staffed to administer and provide a certain range of outpatient care:

• in defined locations;
• at regular or irregular times; and
• where one or more specialist providers deliver care to booked patients.

Generally, in such clinics, a booking system is administered and patient records are maintained to document patient attendances and care provided.

The scope includes all arrangements made to deliver specialist care to non-admitted, non-emergency department patients whose treatment has been funded through the hospital, regardless of the source from which the hospital derives these funds. In particular, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, compensable and other patients funded through the hospital (including Medicare ineligible patients) are included.

For the purposes of the Outpatient care NMDS, outreach services are counted at the specialist clinic where the patient is booked. Outreach services involve travel by the service provider, or services provided by a service provider via ICT (including but not limited to telephone and telehealth consultations). Such services may also be provided in the home, place of work or other non-hospital site.

Within the scope as defined, and subject to specific counting rules, occasions of service to be counted include outreach clinic services, services delivered in a multidisciplinary mode. A separate count of services delivered in group sessions is also collected.

Excluded from scope are:

• Outreach services which are not funded through the hospital and/or which deliver non- clinical care (activities such as home cleaning, meals on wheels, home maintenance); and
• All private specialist services delivered under private practice arrangements which are not funded through the hospital, regardless of whether or how these services may be funded by third party arrangements.
• All services covered by NMDS for:
  • Admitted Patient Care,
  • Admitted patient mental health care,
  • Alcohol and other drug treatment services,
  • Community mental health care,
  • Non-admitted patient emergency department.

Admitted patient services are excluded from scope. However, outpatient services booked for reasons independent of, or distinct from the admitted patient episode are in scope.